Apparatus for packaging liquids



0&5 1943 B. F. sA'rcHr-:LER Erm. 2,330,305

APPARATUs Foa PACKAGING LIQUIDs Filed April 17, 1941 ,4 YZZ 37 I Y Z4 [Aif Z/ Y' Patented Oct. r5, 1943 4 APPARATUS Fon PAcxAcnvG LlQUmsBenjamin F. Batchelor, Maywood, and non n Peterson, Evanston,

Ill., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New Jersey Application April 17, i941, serial No. 389,000

Achims. (clgzsmel).

T he present invention relates to treating liquids which readily foamupon agitation and has particularfreference to van apparatus forbursting the vbubbles which constitute the foam by subjecting them toheat.

In the iilling of liquids such as beer, ale and other similar productsinto cans considerable diiliculty sometimes. is experienced withA the 'Yfoaming over of the liquid before the can is sealed. Such lfoaming overof the liquid wastes the product and tends to cause slack -iilling ofthe cans. In products such as beer and ale, two kiiids of foam usuallyexist. One form of foam is of a fine, creamy texture which in the mostpart consists of beer and carbon dioxide. I'his form is desirable andpreferably is retained. The other foam constitutes larger bubbles whichwhere it belongs.

for the most part are rich in air content. .It is this latter type offoam which causesy the undesirable spilling over andloss of product. Y

The instant invention relates to an apparatus for destroying these airbubbles in the foam to reduce the air content of the liquid and also toprevent spilling of the product prior to sealing of the can. An objecttherefore of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for treatingliquids which readily foam upon-agitation wherein large air lled bubblesof foam are destroyed by heat immediately after the product has beenlled' into a can to reduce the air content of the liquid and to pLeventspilling over of the `product so that slack iilling of the cans will beprevented. Another object is the provision of such an apparatus whereinthe bursting of the foam bubbles is eifected by an -open ame which maybe directed into the head space of the can to expand andbnrst thebubbles by heat.

Numerous other objects and advantages o f the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takeninv connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Refering to the drawing:

Figure' 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying the instantinvention for treating liquids. parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, with partsbroken away; and- .F1g. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 in Fig.1..

: usually foams up into the head space and reaches far above the top ofthe can as it spills over. This foaming is prilnarily caused by airtrapped in the liquid thereby producing large bubbles.

To prevent this spiling over, the foam is subjected to the heat of aflame which is directed down into the top; of the can. The iiame expandsthose bubbles and bursts them and thereby leaves the desirablecre'amy orsmall bubble gas filled foam in the -can below the head space Spillingover of the product with Vits resultant slackiilling is therebyprevented. After such a ame treatment a 'cover may be immediatelyapplied to the can and sealed in place in the usual manner.

illustrates parts of a conventional beer iilling machine. In such amachine the filled cans A are propelled along a horizontal table 2| by arotating turret 22 having spaced pockets 23 formed in its periphery. Acurved guide rail 2 4 secured to the table retains the filled cans inthe turret pockets. The turret is mounted on a able manner.

As a'preferred embodiment ofthe ,in- 's vention destroying an :am Wetfmt hm u mw-M. gw

vertical shaft 25 journaled in a bearing 26 formed in the table. Theshaft is rotated in any suit- The cans A thus propelled falong'tho table2| move through a heat zone created at a de-foaming station B. lAt thisstation there is an elongated burner 3| which is located above the pathof travel of the cans along the table 2| and which preferably is at anangle across the path of travel. The burner is mounted on a threadedstud 32 carried in a bracket 33 secured to the table. Locknuts 34 on thetnreadedstud provide means for adjusting the height of the burner sothat it will be just above the top of the can as the latter passes underthe burner.

The burner 3| preferably is formed with a plurality of closelyspaced-nozzles 31 which extend down toward the open tops of the canspassing under 4the burner. The burner is connected by way of a tube orpipe 38 to a suitable 'supply of gas. It has been found that a gas suchas Skelgas" which is al pure hydrocarbon bottled gas used for homecooking in areas beyond the vcity mains, gives the best results andleaves no o1! ilavor taste orodor in the beer.

Thus. when the gas issuing from the nozzles 31 I is ignited a pluralityof short flames uniting in l. ribbon of iiame along the burner. extenddown into the foam-on the suri'aceotthe beer in the cans passing underthe burner. liieseA flames heat the air filled foam bubbles and causethem to expand and burst. It is this bursting of these bubbles thatreducesthe air content of the liquid and prevents the spilling over andloss of some of the beer. Slack `ililing of the cans is thus prevented.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement@ the parts Without departing from. the spirit and scope cithe invention or sscrlcing all of its material advantages, the formherein'eefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In a machine for treating foam on liquids in containers, thecombination of devices for supporting a liquid fail-ea container, aheating l elementor creating a gaseous zone oi"- heat,

and means for reecting movement between said supported container andsaid zone for subjecting the entire surface of the foam on the liquid inthe container to the heat of said gaseous zone for expanding andbursting the foam bubbles to reduce the air content in the container andto prevent spilling over of the foam.

2. l'n a machine for treating foam on liquids in containers, thecombination of a conveyor or propeing liquid containers along apredetermined path ci travei, and a binnes die# nosed adjacent the sitravel of said conaisaoaot tainers and having an open ame for impingingagainst and sweeping across the entire surface of the foam on the liquidfilled containers as they move past said burner to burst the foambubbles and reduce the air content in the container above the liquid.

3. ln a machine for treating foam on liquids in containers, thecombination of a conveyor for moving liquid filled containers along apredetermined path of travel, a burner disposed above and across thepath of travel of the containers, and a plurality of nozzles on saidburner for throwing a continuous ribbon of name along said burner anddownwardly into and across the sun face ci the foam on the liquid in thecontainers moving past said burnerfsaid ribbon of flamev heating,expanding and bursting the foam bubbles to reduce the air content of theliquid in the containers and to prevent spilling over of the foam.

fi. In a machine for treating foam on liquids in containers, 'thecombination of a heater having a plurality of fuel burning nozzles forcreating a zone of heat, and a conveyor for passing a containerlaterally through said zone for subjecting the entire surface of thefoam on the liquid in the container to the heat or" said zone forexpanding and bursting the foam bubbles to reduce the air content and toprevent spilling over of the foam.

BENJll- F. BATCHELER. ROLF L, PETERSON.

